About ConnOTA
ConnOTA has been shaping the future of occupational therapy in Connecticut since 1923, when Kathryn Root, our first president, laid the foundation for a thriving community of practitioners. Today, we’re a dynamic network of professionals across the state, advocating for the profession on both clinical and legislative levels. Our mission is to support, protect, and elevate occupational therapy while empowering our members. As an inclusive profession, OT drives meaningful change—enhancing health, well-being, and quality of life by creating real-world solutions that help people fully engage in everyday life.
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ConnOTA Membership FAQs
 Get to Know Our Dedicated Volunteers
Meet the Leaders Behind Our Mission: Board Members
Explore Our Committees & Their Impact: Committee Members
Your Voice at AOTA: RA Representative
Supporting Certification & Excellence: NBCOT Ambassador
Board Members
Amy Burton, OTD, OTR/L (2024-2026)
President
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Amy is proud to serve ConnOTA and her professional community as President. She has served on the ConnOTA board for several terms, first as the Member for Professional Development (MPD), organizing and hosting conferences. This included a quick switch to virtual conferences at the onset of COVID-19 and collaborating with State Association conference teams to troubleshoot the survival of conferences during a pandemic. After her tenure as the MPD, Amy served as the ConnOTA Vice President, collaborating with and mentoring newer Board members, helping with operations, and stepping in to support the President, when needed. Outside of ConnOTA, Amy is the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy at Western New England University. She is a certified yoga instructor and uses this as a way to support student mental health and wellbeing at work. She has committed her career to the area of pediatrics and has conducted much of her research on inter-professional practice and social and emotional learning for individuals in preschool through adulthood.
Gus Schlegel, MPS, OT/L (2025-2027)
Vice President
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Gus is a professor and doctoral candidate at Sacred Heart University. Since 2008, he has worked in Haiti to support the healthcare system in the rural community of L’Acul, where he co-leads service learning and mission trips for graduate occupational therapy students, raises funds for the a clinic operated by the Bon Samaritan School, and consults on programs ranging from school lunch to reforestation. His past work in Haiti included reopening a medical clinic and co-founding an occupational therapy clinic. Prior to his work in Haiti, Gus owned a therapy company. During Operation Desert Storm, he served as Company Commander, Occupational Therapy Assistant, where he helped develop the combat stress doctrine. Gus holds a Master’s degree in Professional Students and a B.S. in Occupational Therapy.
Corrin Campbell, BS, COTA/L (2020-2024)
Past President
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Corrin, the first COTA/L to be elected as ConnOTA President, has practiced in areas from home health to subacute to outpatient to Geri-psych and more. In every setting, she zeroes in on maximizing each client's level of function. After nearly a decade in the clinical settings, she took on higher education, supporting many students as an instructor, Fieldwork Coordinator, and Program Director. Though she continues to support former and current students, she has since returned to work with persons experiencing changes in cognition. Her desire to stay current with treatment and policy trends has driven her to attend ConnOTA and AOTA, topic-specific, and ALC and NEOTEC conferences, as well as present to the Alzheimer’s Association and other medical groups on identifying and treating changes in cognition as early as possible. She has also partnered with Dr. Margarita Reyes for her yearly education series. In addition to her COTA licensure, Corrin has received formal training in dementia care, vestibular rehab, cardiac rehab, and low vision. Corrin holds a BS in Early Childhood Development from Charter Oak College and an AAS in Occupational Therapy Assisting from Briarwood College.
Carol G. Potter, OTR/L, BCG, CAPS (2024-2026)
Treasurer
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Carol is a highly dedicated occupational therapist with extensive experience as a clinician, consultant, director, and educator, both in-patient and out-patient. She moved to Connecticut in 2023 from the Seattle, Washington area. Before living in Washington State, she lived in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, where she began her career in OT. Carol received her B.S. in O.T. from Tufts University – Boston School of Occupational Therapy. Carol served on the Executive Board of the Washington Occupational Therapy Association as Treasurer-Elect, Treasurer, M.A.L.– Audit, and was the LCC Promotions Chair for the AOTA 2000 National Conference in Seattle WA. She was a member of the Executive Board of the Westchester District – New York State Occupational Therapy Association, where she served as Treasurer and Co-Chair of the Legislation Committee. Carol is on-call to provide remote Telehealth OT services for the Full Life Care – Adult Day Health program in Seattle, WA. She is currently setting up her private practice in Madison. Carol has AOTA Board Certification in Gerontology and is a Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist through the National Association of Home Builders.
Kristina Cuoco, MS, MOTR/L, CBIS (2022-2024)
Secretary
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Kristina completed her master’s degree in occupational therapy from Quinnipiac University in 2009. Kristina has invested many years into working with older adults in the skilled nursing setting and becoming a skilled rehabilitation director; currently, she focuses on mental health and adults with acquired brain injuries, earning her credentials as a certified brain injury specialist.
Joyce E Rioux, EdD, OTR/L, SCSS, FAOTA (2023-2025)
Government Affairs Co-Chair
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As Co-Chair of Government Affairs for ConnOTA, Joyce works alongside Latasha and our lobbyist to track and respond to laws and policies that impact occupational therapy in Connecticut. She keeps members updated through advocacy chats, legislative action nights, website alerts, and board meetings while collaborating with state and federal agencies to advocate for our profession. If you’re passionate about making a difference or just want to know what’s happening with OT policy, reach out—Joyce would love to connect and hear your thoughts!
Latasha R. Dionne, OT, OTD, OTR (2024- 2026)
Government Affairs Co-Chair
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As Co-Chair of Government Affairs for ConnOTA, Latasha works alongside Joyce and our lobbyist to advocate for policies that support occupational therapy practitioners and the communities they serve. With a decade of experience in pediatric settings, she brings expertise in cultural competence, occupational justice, and health equity to her advocacy work. Latasha is committed to keeping members informed and engaged—reach out to connect on policy issues impacting OT in Connecticut!
Anne Koba, MS, OTR/L (2024-2026)
Membership Co-Chair
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Anne has over 30 years of experience in occupational therapy. She has a Bachelor’s of Science in Occupational Therapy from Quinnipiac University, and a Master’s of Science in Special Education with a concentration in Assistive Technology from Southern Connecticut State University. She has practiced in both school-based and early intervention settings where she has supported clients with inclusion and independence in their natural roles, routines and settings. She values team collaboration, and client-centered practice. Anne has also worked as a staff supervisor mentoring both occupational and physical therapists in school-based practice. Currently Anne is employed as a full-time assistant professor at the University of Hartford in the Occupational Therapy Program. She embraces her work as a teacher and mentor as she helps others grow in their occupational therapy practice. Specializing in the areas of: Occupation-based practice, Assistive technology, Emotional regulation, Sensory processing, Motor development, Teaching and learning, Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
Maureen Leyes, M.Ed., COTA/L (2023-2025)
Membership Co-Chair
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Maureen currently serves as a professor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator at CT State Manchester, with a passion for raising up the next generation of occupational therapy practitioners as holistically as possible. She has clinical experience in physical rehabilitation and works per diem at Mount Sinai Rehab Hospital’s inpatient setting
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Committee Members
Terese Betts, MS, OTD, OTR/L, RYT
SIS Chair
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Terese Betts has over 12 years of clinical experience as an occupational therapist working primarily in school settings with preschool through high school-aged students with disabilities. She earned a Master of Science degree in occupational therapy from Howard University in Washington, DC, and a post-professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate from New York University. Dr. Betts' passion lies in facilitating engagement in leisure and social participation in community settings for youths with disabilities by addressing complex needs and social determinants of health. Terese is a 200-Hour RYT and shares her passion for yoga with the youth population in community settings. She enjoys spending time with her boys, playing with her dog, reading books, and attending yoga retreats.
Tessa Boston, MOT, OTR/L
Professional Development
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Tessa earned her master’s degree from Saint Louis University in 2017. She is an occupational therapist with the Yale University School of Medicine, working on the Young Adult Services team at the Connecticut Mental Health Center. She also coordinates the Level II Fieldwork programming at her site and supports transitional housing programs facilitate independent living for young adults. Tessa is pursuing her ScD in Occupational Science at Towson University, with research interests in occupational justice and community participation for individuals with serious mental illness.
Jaimee Hegge, OTD, OTR/L, CKTP
Professional Development
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Jaimee has practiced as an occupational therapist since 2012 and teaches adult and geriatric physical rehabilitation in the Graduate Occupational Therapy Program at Sacred Heart University as a Clinical Assistant Professor. She received her Master of Science in OT degree from Sacred Heart University in 2012 and her Post-Professional Doctoral degree from St. Catherine University in 2018. She grounds her expertise in physical rehabilitation with focuses on home health, ergonomics, and pelvic floor dysfunction. She is also a Certified Kinesio Tape Practitioner.
Rhonda Schneider, COTA/L
Public Affairs
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Rhonda Schneider, COTA/L graduated from CT State Manchester in 2024, where she developed a love for learning and a passion for occupational therapy. She began her career with Hartford Healthcare Rehabilitation Network at Hartford Hospital, primarily working with patients with neurological disorders. Rhonda’s journey in occupational therapy began in 7th grade, when she first learned about the field and set her sights on making it her career. She strongly advocates for purposeful activity as a means to live a happy and fulfilled life, believing that the ability to care for oneself and engage in meaningful activities is essential to well-being. Outside of work, Rhonda enjoys reading, being outdoors, working in her flower garden to create bouquets, and spending time with her nieces and nephews.
Judi Sheehan, OTR/L, CFo
Historian
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Judi has extensive experience with ConnOTA as the Historian (since 2000) and has served two terms as President (2016-2020), and as Vice President, (2010-2014) where she was instrumental in facilitating many major organizational improvements. She has assisted or held the chair position for the annual Spring Conferences for over 17 years. ConnOTA has awarded her with the Award of Service, the Award of Merit, and the President’s award. She has a passion for ConnOTA and ensuring that the organization continues to remain a strong and innovative organization where the state’s Occupational Therapists can share their ideas and skills and utilize its growing resources to further their work in the state.
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AOTA RA Representative
Joan Sauvigne-Kirsch, EdD, OTR/L (2023-2027)
Connecticut Representative
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As our Representative Assembly (RA) representative, Joan is your connection to shaping the future of occupational therapy at the national level. She stays informed on key professional issues, gathers input from peers, and ensures that our community’s voice is heard in important discussions. She also helps onboard new representatives, collaborates with leadership, and engages in decision-making that impacts the profession. Whether it’s serving on committees, mentoring future leaders, or keeping everyone updated, she plays a key role in making sure occupational therapy continues to grow and evolve.
NBCOT Ambassador
Morgan R. Villano, MPA, MSPS, OTR/L
Connecticut Ambassador
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As an NBCOT ambassador, Morgan is your go-to resource for staying connected with the broader occupational therapy community—including students, practitioners, educators, and leaders. She helps expand NBCOT’s presence at the state level, making it easier to access important certification resources, stay informed, and engage in meaningful conversations about the profession. Whether you have questions about certification or want to get involved, Morgan is here to support you and help keep occupational therapy moving forward.
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